Kirby Smart likes what he's seen from Alabama's young cornerbacks, safeties (video)

Kirby Smart signs a football for a fan. Alabama football fans were invited to a football practice and Fan Day autograph session with head coach Nick Saban and the football team Sunday August 5, 2012 at Bryant Denny Stadium. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer).

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Every position on a defense carries equal importance, but there are some that, fairly or not, take a larger share of the blame when something goes wrong.

Such is the life of a defensive back.

"Any time you've got the back end of your defense, those are the areas
the rest of the world sees," Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said Sunday during his one-and-only media session of the season.

"You don't see a guy mess up up front, you
don't see a linebacker mess up sometimes. When that guy on the back end,
which I played back there, messes up, everybody knows your number,
everybody knows your name.

"Those are the mistakes that usually cost you
games."

Alabama's secondary has been a hot topic throughout the offseason, largely because it's an area where a few new faces are in position to see some significant playing time.

At cornerback, Alabama will try to fill the holes left by first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick, fifth-rounder DeQuan Menzie and Phelon Jones. Dee Milliner appears to be locked in at one of the main starting spots, while junior-college transfers Deion Belue and Travell Dixon and junior John Fulton battle it out for the other prominent cornerback roles. Also in the mix are redshirt freshmen Jabriel Washington and Bradley Sylve and true freshman Geno Smith.

"We have the bodies there, we have the body types we want, we just have
to give those guys some experience," Smart said. "Thank goodness with the way we
practice and this camp we have, they'll have plenty of opportunities to
play some ball and do some things we've got to do."

The pecking order at safety is a bit more clear, as senior Robert Lester and sophomore Vinnie Sunseri have seen the lions' share of the work. Sophomore HaHa Clinton-Dix will also see plenty of action.

And, of course, five-star freshman Landon Collins could push for playing time.

"Those two positions, as far as what you're telling the corner to do,
what you're telling the linebacker to do, what you're checking to,
they're very critical on our defense," Smart said. "I couldn't be happier with the two
kids we got as far as their intelligence level, ability.

"Vinnie has done a great job adjusting in that role," Smart said. "He's not Mark
Barron, he's not trying to be Mark Barron; he's trying to be Vinnie and
he's done that well. Makes a lot of big plays.

"Robert has been a very
solid player for us, gets us lined up, understands this defense through
three and four years of being in the system."